Thames House
Ignacio Szulman arquitecto
ARCHITECTS
Ignacio Szulman arquitecto
LEAD ARCHITECTS
Ignacio Szulman, Valentín Pedroz
CONSTRUCTION MANAGER
Pedro Correa
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Mario Saieg
TEAM
Sol Basile, Hernán Robredo, Santiago Vigano, Florencia Morelli
MANUFACTURERS
Matyser, Mosaicos Rossi, Terra Calcareo
PHOTOGRAPHS
Javier Agustín Rojas
AREA
180 m²
YEAR
2022
LOCATION
Buenos Aires, Argentina
CATEGORY
Houses
A house that underwent many interventions over time, went from being a house to a rehabilitation center.
The new owners bought the place to turn it back into a residence, initially just for the couple. They needed a single-story house with the condition of being able to expand in the future to a second level.
The first intervention consists of opening up the space, which involves demolishing parts of the back and front to create 3 courtyards.
The oldest section of the original construction is preserved, with the old brick walls and ceilings left exposed.
The second operation involves protecting this old construction by surrounding it with a new reinforced concrete structure that also lays the foundation for future growth.
The concrete is hammered in some areas to resemble the texture of the old broken bricks and create a new unity.
A final operation introduces a brick tile object inside the house, shaping the different functions: from the bathroom and kitchen volumes, the openings that connect to the exterior, to the fixed furniture of the house.
Brick tiles are chosen for their human scale, more adaptable than concrete, and because they are the predominant material in the existing construction.
Inside, the brick tiles are painted white to create a contrast, while outside they are left exposed, blending the old walls with the new brick tiles.
